Cataract Surgery Case Study

494 Words1 Page

They say that the eyes are the windows into the soul. When damage to the eyes occur it is usually irreversible, meaning that if this does occur, it is definitely best to find a respected ophthalmologist to fix the problem. Meet Karen D. Todd, my aunt and opthamologist at the Florida Eye Institute in Vero Beach, Florida. Dr. Todd practices general ophthalmology with an emphasis on the latest treatments and diagnostic testing for glaucoma. Here we have Dr. Todd performing a phacoemulsification, or in simpler terms, small cut cataract surgery. When a cataract is developed, the eye’s natural lens is cloudy and is usually a result of an injury, disease, or aging. During cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed or cleaned out and replaced by …show more content…

Pre-Op begins momentarily, where the patient meets with nurses, surgical technicians, Dr. Todd, and the anesthesiologist to discuss the operation and go over any new concerns or questions the patient may have. They will be hooked up to an IV where the anesthesiologist with administer the local anesthesia before Dr. Todd begins to operate. When the operation begins, Dr. Todd will use a steady hand to make a small opening in the side of the cornea. To begin removing the cataract, she switches tools and uses a vibrating ultrasound device to break the hard, cloudy lens into smaller pieces. Following this, she will suction the fragments out through the small cut in the eye. After the cataract is removed, she will begin to insert the intraocular lens in place. This is called an intraocular implantation. This lens is permanent, clear, and will restore normal vision for the patient. After the operation concludes, Dr. Todd and her team reverse the local anesthesia, inject novocaine into the eye, and educate the patient on what they need to do before their post-op checkup. Since cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure requiring no hospital stay, patients go home and return the following day for their

More about Cataract Surgery Case Study

Open Document